Regulating-valve.



A. I. LOEPSINGER.

REGULATING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. II, IsII.

1,178,528. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

,III

A. J. LOEPSINGER.

REGULATING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. H. 191|.

Patented Apr. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. ALBERT JOHN LOEPSINGEB, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND., AQSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY. OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION i 0F NEW YORK.

T o all whom 4t may concern Be it known that I, ALizR'r J. LOEPSINGER,

a citizen of the Ilnited States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have inventednew and usefulv Improvements in Regulating- Valves, of which the following is a specification.

In various localities in which automatic sprinkler s vstems are installed the normal pressure of the municipal water supply is so low as to be worthless for supplying water to such systems when installed in buildings of any considerable height, and in such cases the practice has been'to rely on gravity or pressure tanks, or both, for supplying the sprinkler systems. In the case of many old buildings, however, it is impossible or undesirable to utilize such tanks because the buildings or their foundations are not strong enough to support the weight of the `filled tanks, and therefore some other water supply must be available in order to make it possible to install automatic sprinkler systems in buildings of this character. Such a source of supply exists in some places, as in New `York city, for example, where there is a special system of water pipes provided with tire pumps for giving high pressure fire service, the pressure pendent upon the number of pumps put in operation to supply the demand at any given time, but it has not heretofore been feasible to utilize this service for supplying automatic sprinkler systems, for ,the reason that the pressure developed'by the fire pumps is liable in case of a heavy demand to run up so high that if it were admitted to an automatic sprinkler system the latter would immediately be Vin danger. My invention is particularly intended to overcome this difculty by providing a regulating valve which, if interposed between a sprinkler system and a high pressure water supply, will maintain a suitable' predetermined pressure in the sprinkler system regardless of any increase in pressure in the supply system, the features of construction and arrangement in which my invention resides being hereinafter set forth in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whiehf Figure 1 is a central 4vertical section through my regulating valve as preferably constructed Figs. 2 and 3 are 'sectional views on a larger. scale, showing certain of Specification of Letters Patent.

developed being dethe parts of the valve in diferent positions;

and Fig. is an elevation, largely diagrammatic in character, showing a sprinkler systlpm equipped with the ,valve illustrated in eferring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 2 indicates the valve casing, which is formed to provide an inlet or supply passage 3, an outlet or discharge passage l, and an opening 5 affording communication between the passages 3 and l. This opening 5 is surrounded byal suitable valve seat such as 6 and is controlled l'by the valve proper 7, which when closed rests against the seat 6 on that side of the latter which faces the inlet passage 3, vso that said valve A is adapted to open away'from the outlet passage 4.

The inlet side of the valve 7 which is its under side as represented in Fig. 1, is ex- Patented Apr. 11', 191e.' .Application filed November 11, 1911. Serial No. 659,709. I i l from having any controlling effect uponthe operation of the valve under normal conditions by means of a. balancing arrangement, which is preferably so constructed as to permit a valve-opening movementV of considerable extent in order to provide a free waterway through lthe valve casing when the valve is open, in accordance with the requirements of approved automatic sprinkler practice. The valve-balancing arrangement shown in Fig. 1, whichI have devised for this purpose, is constructed as follows: stem 8 is carried by the valve 7 on the inlet side thereof and extends inthe direction of its opening movement, being lguided by suitable means such as a fixed hub 9 in lwhich the free end of the stem slides. On/said stem 8 are mounted a. number of hubs 10 adapted to slide longitudinally on the stem, and to each hub 10 are secured two rigid circular each diaphragm being preferably con- 4 structed of thin sheet metal such as phosphor bronze andbeing secured to its hub in such manner as to form a water-tight jointthere A with, as by clamping the central portion of the diaphragm upon the hub by means of the corresponding disk 11, asl shown in Figs.4

2 and 3. Asimilar diaphragm 12 and disk 11 are secured to a fixed hub such as the hub 110 valve stem 8 will be uted among all the of the exilole diaphras 9, and'another diaphragm 12 anddisk 11 are similarly secured to a hub 13 on the valve stem 8. 'lhese diaphragms 12 are all ot the same diameter and are connected in pairs by means ot circular rings 1d to which the peripheries of the respective diaphragms are tightly secured, each ring serving to connect two diaphragms carried by adjacent hubs. rlhere is thus provided a chamber which is compressible in the direction of the opening movement of the valve 7 and is closed so far as communication with the interior of the casing 2 is concerned, and since the bottom diaphragm 12 is secured to a lixed part, namely, the hub 9, while the external pressure on each intermediate diaphragm is balanced by the pressure on another intermediate diaphragm,. the compressing force exerted on the chamber as a whole is measured by the supply pressure acting upon the topmost diaphragm 12, the interior ot said chamber being subjected to the normal atmospheric pressure by providing the valve stem 8 below the hub 13 with longitudinally extending channels 15 opening throughthe end of thev stem into the hollow interior of the hub 9, which in turn is in communication with the external air through a perforated cap plate 16 secured to the valve casing 2 at this point.

yll`he parts associated with the valve stem 8 as above described are'so proportioned and arranged that when the valve 7 is closed each of the flexible diaphragms 12 rests upon the adjacent disk 11., so that each disk serves as a rigid backing and support for its diaphragm and enables the latter to resist high pressures in the supply passage on the inlet side of the valve, each disk being of such diameter asto extend nearly across the hollow interior of the corresponding ring 14. Assuming that the ed'ective area of the compressible chamberthus constructed is sub-y stantially equal to that of the valve 7 on its inlet side, the forces tending to hold said valve upon its seat will evidently be unaf- :tected to any substantial extent by the pressure exerted by the Water supply in the inlet passagei3, or by variations in such pres-l sure. Whenever the valve 7 is opened, however, the resulting movement imparted to the -automatically distribmovable hubs and diaphragms as indicated in Fig. 3, since it any diaphragm is separated from its supporting adjacent greater area to the pressure tending to force it toward its disk, Whereupon the corresponding hub Will move on the stem din such direction-as to tend to equalize* the pressure conditions. siderable opening. movement of the valve 7 is thus provided for Without causing any one A conto be bent to anA inra/ases Ato make these diaphragme enough larger than the valve 7 to result in a. slight ditferential pressure tending to open the valve, in order that said valve may be automatically opened in case the arrangement for closing the valve should become inoperative for any reason, in which'case, unless the valve .were open, the water supply tor the sprinkler system would be cut od. To all intents and purposes, however, the valve 7 is balanced so tar as the edect of the supply pressure thereon is concerned, so long as the various parts are in conditionto operate in the manner contemplated.

lln order to control the opening and closing ot the valve in such manner as to supply the sprinkler system and maintain a predetermined pressure therein under static conditions, this pressure is caused to exert a closing force on the valve but is partly balanced by an independently-applied force of constant amount, which will ordinarily vary with the height of the building in which the sprinkler system is installed. rllhis independent torce may be conveniently provided by a gravity tank located at a suitable elevation and connected to an arrangement for utilizing the static pressure due to the height ot this tank, and in Fig. 1 ll have shown ,a valve-controlling arrangement located on the outlet side of the valve 7 and exposed to the independent pressure above referred to and also to the pressure in the sprinkler pipe system. 'llhis valve-controlling arrangement, like the balancing device already described, should provide )tor a valve-opening movement of considerable extent, but sincethe pressures to which it is subjected are not liable to run up so high as the supply pressure on the inlet side of the valve, it

diaphragm construction without rigid backings for the diaphragms. lF or example, the construction shown in Fig.a l1 comprises a series of circular diaphragms 17 having v1s possible to employ a Hexible open .centers and arranged one above another, withthe inner and outer edges of each intermediate diaphragm tightly secured to the adjacent edges of the next diaphragirnsI in the series, thus forming a compressible and expansihle chamber which is closed except at its ends. 'llhis chamber, which is contained in a suitable compartment in the valve casing 2,1is secured its lovver end to and closed by a disk 18 carried by the tepel a valve stem 19, which 1 which itl passes.

extends upward from the valve 7 in aline! ment with the stem 8 and is guidedby suitable means such as a spider 20 through At its upper end said chamber is secured to a iianged bushing 21 carried by the valve casing and having a central opening which affords communication between the interior of the chamber and a pipe 22, which leads to the gravity ltank above referred to. The diaphragms 17 are v all equal in area, but since the intermediate diaphragmsbalance one another, so far as` the eiect of the pressures on them is concerned, the eifective area of the chamber as a whole is that of a single diaphragm, and this area is somewhat" greater than the effective area of the valve 7 on its outlet side. AIn order thatthe latter area may be defined 4with exactness the seat forl said valve is preferablyprfovided with an annular channel 23 connected through a passage 24 with the exterior of the casing 2,

whereby any leakage into said channel from eithery sideof the valve will be drained away.

In Fig. 4 l have illustrated the manner in .which the regulating valve above described is preferably combined with a sprinkler system.4 In this figure, 25 indicatesfthe' supply riser of the sprinkler system, with cross pipes 26 leading therefrom and carrying sprinkler pipesv 27 to which the sprin- -kler heads 2 8 are attached. The regulating valve, indicated at- 2, is connected on its outlet side to the bottom of the supply riser 25 and onits inlet side to the supply main L29 which is usually provided with a gatevalve 30. The pipe 22, already referred to,

leads upward from the regulating valve to the gravityr tank 31, which is shown as pro- -vided with a valve-controlled pipe connec- 1 tion 32 through which it may be filled, and

v sure within with an overflow pipe 33 discharging into an open drain pipe 34. As thistank is not utilized to hold a water supply to be drawn upon but merely tomaintain a tixedspresthe compressible chamber to which 'it is connected, it maybe a small tank as vcompared with an ordinary gravity or pressure tank such as is used for'supplying a sprinkler systemLandmay be connected to said chamber by a small pipe.

- Since it is always conceivable that something might prevent the valve 7 `from closing tightly,

or sprinkler heads by the excessive pressure which might then be admitted to the sprinkler pipe system, and to this lend said system may be'l provided with 'a safety valve of any suitable construction. .Such a valve is indicated at 35 and is shown as discharging into a pipe 36 leading into the drain Pipe 34- As thus constructed and arranged, the

it is desirable to prevent any possibility of damage to the sprinkler plpes mode of operation of the valve may be described as follows: Assuming that. the sprinkler system is filled with water at the pressure which it is desired to maintain` therein, so long as static conditions exist the valve 7 is subjected on its outlet side to the differential eiiiectof said pressure on the vvalve itself Qand on the compressible chambercomposed of the flexible ,diaphragms 17, and also to the pressure exerted in the interior of said compressible chamber bv the water in the gravity tank 31, and

afect the pressure in thesprinkler system. If a sprinkler opens, however, the pressure in the sprinkler system and in the valve casing 2 on the outlet side ofthe valve 7 is immediately redu'ced,land thereupon the pressure due to the gravity tank overbalances the sprinkler system pressure on the diaphragms 17 and opens the valve 7, whereupon the sprinkler system is supplied with water to whatever extent may be necessary to meet the demand, but whenever the fore any such increase of pressure cannot sprinkler vsystem pressure rises to the predetermined amount theforce thereby exerted on the compressible chamber above the valve 7 becomes sutlicient to cause said valve to close, the parts being thus restoredv 'to their normal condition.

It will be understood that the pressure which it is desirable to maintain in asprinkler system under normal conditions will vary with the height of the uppermost sprinkler pipes in the system, the supplyV riser 25 being shown in Fig. L as broken away `between various floor levels, andV the valve-opening pressure exerted in the interior of the compressible chamber composed of the diaphragms 17 will therefore be varied accordingly, this beingreadily donein any given installation by locating the gravity tank 31 ata suitable elevation above the regulating valve. y

If at any time the supply pressure is not greaterthan the pressure in the sprinkler pipes and the valve 7 is open, it will then cease to act as a regulating valve and will be continuously held open unless the supply pressure increases, whereupon it will close again and operate 'automatically thereafter as above described, while if the supply presf thatit may be readily adapted to a sprin sure is less than that which is intended to be maintained in the sprinkler system the valve i', if closed, Will remain closed unless the pressure in the sprinkler system falls oil, vvhereupon the valve will be opened by the pressure due to the gravitytank and will remain open after the sprinkler system pressure and the supply pressure have been equalized and so long as they continue to be equal, o1' so long as the sprinkler system pressure is less than the intendedamount. lnother Words, the sprinkler system pressure is regulated Wholly by the gravity tank, subject to the possibility that the supply pressure may sometimes be insulcient to keep up the desired pressure in the sprinhler system.

My invention thus provides a regulating valve vvhich is particularly serviceable in situations of the character above described, in that it is unadected by an increase in the y supply pressure but is quickly responsive to a reduction of pressure in the sprinkler system, this being due to what may be called the distinctive characteristic of my broad invention, namely, the employment of means for balancing the supply pressure on one side of the valve, in combination with an arrangement for exerting onthe valve an independent force which is oli constant amount and tends to open the valve but is normally overcome by the pressure in the sprinkler system.

The particular construction above described also has the useful features that the valve is a single-seating valve, that it is capable-,ot a Wide opening movement, and

i' lrler system extending to any given height by securing this regulation so regulating the independent valve-'opening pressure as to produce sure is not greater than the pressure inthe supply` main. The employment of a gravity .i w and pressure-operated means connected thereto adords a very of pressure, and the compressible chamber in which the diaphragins are 'rigidly supported under normal conditions also constitutes a useful feaf ture of myimprovements, but all these ifeatures and details of construction and arrangement may be variously modified 1vvithout departing from my broad invention above characterized, and the valve vmay be employed in various situationsx in' which the regulation of pressure is` desirable.

l claim as my invention l. A regulating valve comprising a casing ha vu' inlet and outlet passages and an op arg connecting the same, a valve controg said opening and exposed on opposite sides to the'supply and discharge pressures respectively, vmeanscomp t a compressible chamber tor substantially balancf ranged to open toward the y any desired pressure in the sprinkler system, so long as this pres! convenient Way of vclmmber located in the inl arianna ing the pressure on the inlet side ot the valve, said chamber being exposed externally tothe supply pressure and internally to a less pressure, and means for applying to the valve an independent valve-'opening torce which is normally overba-lanced by the discharge pressure.

2. A regulating valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages and an opening connecting the same, a single-seating valve controlling said opening and arinlet passage, a compressible chamber connected to the valve for substantially balancing the pressure on the inlet side of the. latter, said chamber being exposed externally to thesupply pres sure and internally to a less pressure, means for exerting on the valve a 4closing torce varying with the discharge pressure, andl Vvalve and comprising a. series ot dexible annular diaphragms connected at their outer and inner edges in alternation, and rigid supports for the respective diaphragms when in normal position.

d. A regulating valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages and an opening connecting the same, a normallyclosed valve controlling said opening and having a projectingstem, a series ot hubs mounted to slide on said ing provided with-a pair of rigid dislts, other disks connected respectively to the valve and the casing, a series of dexible diaphragms each overlying one of the disks and-normally supported thereby, and a ring connecting the outer portions of each pair of diaphragmsrcarried by adjacent hubs.

5. A regulating valve comprising a casin the interior ot the compressible chamber located on the outlet side of said valve.

6. A regulating valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passagesand an opening connecting the same, a'valve controlling said opening and arranged to open toward the inlet paage, a compressible et passage and comprising a. series ot dexible diaphragms Stem, each hub be- I connected to one another and each provided With a rigid support when in normal position, a compressible chamber located in the outlet passage and comprising a Series of flexible ldiaphragms connected to one another and having a' greater effective area 'than the vaIve, said chambers being each connected to the valve, and means for maintaining a constant pressure in the interior of the compressible chamber located on the outletside of said valve. Y

7. A regulating valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages andan opening connecting the same,a valve controlling said opening and arranged to open toward the inlet passage, compressible cham-l bers connected to the valve and subjected externally to the pressures on the opposite sides of the latter, the effective area of the chamber on the inlet side being substantially equal -to that of the valve and the eective area of the chamber on the outlet side being greater than that ofthe valve, a gravity tank located above the valve, and pipe connections between said tank and the interior of the latter chamber. i

8. 'A regulating valve .comprising a casing havinginlet and outlet passages and an opening connecting the same, a single-seating valve controlling said opening and arranged to open toward the inlet passage, a compressible chamber connected to the valve and exposed externally to the pressure on the inlet side thereof, -said chamber having substantially the same effective area as the valve, a compressible chamber connected to the valve and exposed externally to the pressure on the outlet side of the same, a gravity tank located above the valve, and pipe connections between said tank and the interior of the latter chamber. l

' In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th 'day of lNovember, 1911.

' ALBERT JOHN LOEPSINGER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. JOYCE, 1 JOSEPH FRANCES CONLEY. 

